I am not as cynical as I once was - I used to joke that I was "cynically depressed" instead of clinically depressed.
Kicking the drink has evened out my emotional landscape. I'm also not as angry or prone to self-pity as I once was, in fact I have more joy and hope than ever before.
I guess this surprised me because I never planned on quitting drinking until I was humbled one last time. Hence these were surprises that I never considered possible. I was someone who told concerned loved ones and friends in an angry fashion, "I'm never going to quit drinking!"